WAR some MORE!

It's a thin line between Heaven and Hell. Don't ride that line til it's too late. Get your shit together!!!! - Roland Dawson, photographer

ONE

Every 80 minutes a former U.S. soldier kills himself? My relationship to the U.S. military is different from the average fare because I am not white. I am a Creek Indian, and African man. This culture and where the white people came from 'soul loss' is prevalent. Honoring their veterans hasn't the depth of respect a soldier needs to sustain his life force.

Our traditions, like the ancient Hebrews, had practices to honor the men who went to war during purification ceremonies before war. Honoring of the warriors returning home required isolation. During this time our holy people performed the rituals to restore their souls back to balance within the bodies, often broken. when they returned This was a long process. Over time the community became part of the men's healing by the way life was lived. 

This is too far away from what made America a global power. In many of the indigenous cultures suicide, as defined by the Americans, was not suicide. There were men and sometimes women who'd made vows to fight unto the death for their people, while the others made tracks to flee their enemies to safe haven. In death, these warriors were honored in the deep places unfamiliar to American culture. 

The actions, the end results of time served in 'this man's army' haven't the same meaning, or feel to the soul. - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 10/31/17 

I am a gentle spirit but ...

8 Forces = Creation

hair flung into the air by belly dancer

During the years time moved around and gave me age I've thought about the so-called struggle with the Devil, and I began to see the emphasis on him as a Magician's Trick; a clever way of throwing out of sync where the focus of spiritual work should be: within. Not only is the universe reflected within our being the shadows and the light of our souls is reflective of the elements that compose Creation. Creation is a dance of elements. It is math and law, as Old Man taught me over the same years that gave me age, and insights.

Morihei Ueshiba, who founded Aikido, observed and shared that "Eight forces sustain creation: movement and stillness, solidification and fluidity, extension and contraction, unification and division."  When the Sioux war chief, Sitting Bull was in a battle he said, "Today is a good day to die, for all the things of my life are here." Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the Light..."

These are long ways of men saying what women teach by their powers of Birth. Life-death-resurrection is the fundamental thread within the mystery teachings of Judaism, and from the ancient mysterious of the Egyptians, and many other indigenous traditions lives these sensible  observations felt in the way one lives with the Earth, our Mother.

War-like cultures have to have an enemy. Islam talks about the holy jihad as the inner battle, or struggle one undertakes within one's soul between light and dark, good and evil. These themes are fundamental to growth, and uncovering the mysteries we come from and are born into and are compelled to explore. If one needs a devil to focus on to become his/her best self; so be it. It is just that Old Man forbade me giving Satan any energy by acknowledging, or saying his name. Old Man said Christians say his name, and gave him more credit for things than they do Jesus!

- Gregory E. Woods, 

Keeper of Stories

10.10.13

Rock of our Salvation: our Word

SIZE OF THE HEART MATTER 

"The damned one has many of his evil creepers workn as spiritual vacumn hoses that are doing their best to suck God's spirit right outtta us in hopes of being able to influence us w/his several venomous ways in this world. Same goes w/our mind f we don't stay in God's Word&continually renew it daily.Otherwise its gna become toxic bcz of the garbage taken it thru our eyes&ears evn when were unaware. Be on guard people! Its happening in the church's not only in the world!!!! Armor up!" - Rebecca Hammock, Dec. 20, 2013  

Rebecca Hammock, I confess to being a bit dumbfounded by your assertion, or maybe I am misunderstanding your words. Sinclair is talking about impeccability in the sense of the warrior preparing for a broader vision with a scope not narrowed by fearful forebodings and a watchful eye for the boogeyman man. What I am hearing in your post is a hurried, frightened scurrying towards a huddle because the boogeyman man is coming and the boogeyman man is even in the safe spaces.

In other words I see a defensive stance in your projection against the devil, and in Sinclair is an offensive, preparatory stance indifferent to the outcome and specifically indifferent to the 'enemy'. Sinclair's advise, "Always invest in yourself spiritually and mentally.' is sound. It requires a higher level of spiritual awareness and preparedness that is not motivated, or responding to fear. - Gregory E. Woods, 12.21.13

Law ENFORCEMENT

It is a tough reality, but political gains, and cultural gains in the arenas still wrought with contradictions have not been fully blessed and accepted in the hearts of the benefactors of many men who thrive in a system that protects them from investigations into the rape and torture of women in the military. The military system protects accused rapists, and thwarts honest investigations simply. Protected by rapists in positions of authority rapists in the military have a pretty easy role to play. How? How is this possible? It is easy. The idea, and the concept of freedom and equality are not viewed by the military and the civilian with the same eyes.

We are all familiar with the text book answers and reasons for rape, but we are collectively unfamiliar with the face of the spirit of the rapist within the protected environment of the US military. Sodomizing a man, or a woman, and rape of women are war tactics, and for centuries has been deeply ingrained into the thinking of soldiers as a norm. Pussy has been considered a right.

The Arabian countries that continue to steal Black Africans and sell them into slavery routinely rape the boys and the girls to subjugate their spirits and submit their bodies to the rigors of their new lives in hell. It is a hard fact. How, as a father, do you shatter the idealism of your daughters, or sisters who dream of equality and fairness in this type of culture, and want to serve their country as a military officer? I am not friends with a lot of men who don't understand the dark side of women and men, and the dark side of homosexuality who are not  honest about what the spirit of this belief structure is, and what it looks like. What is difficult for us as fathers, and men is shattering the illusions American women have about the law, change, and the nature of men.

There is a lot of denial in the make up of Americans and there is no spiritual science respected and employed to face the spirits of the belief structure that subjugates women to the most violent of deaths to their spirits and bodies. We believe in the separation of wholeness, and that blinds us to the whole truths and gives us great pleasure believing in the illusions of equality with the devil in the room laughing his head off because the eyes of Americans like to believe law changes spirits.

My grief around rape has no end it feels like, but my grief over Private LaVena Lynn Johnson is extended to the many lives torn apart by rape. Any actions I've taken to intervene in this arena is small and great as is any other person so inclined to do the spiritual and practical work this arena needs. - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 9.7.13

U.S. Army Private LaVena Lynn Johnson was raped,
tortured and killed 8 days before her 20th birthday July 19, 2005.

FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS

Wolf Scruff

dance, pose, move, and make sound
6.11.13

What are the symbols conjured by the society you live in that move intentionally invisible, but potent nonetheless, within you? This is a fundamental question. How are you guided by what you don't know about yourself? Who directs your gaze, stimulates your vibrations into habits, and patterns? What do your eyes say to other eyes? These are fundamental questions addressed now, or later near, during or after death. - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 6.11.13

Kelitta Smith's wild looks

DEMONS

"I saw mostly dark impish creatures in the rafters, and in corners of churches growing up. I wasn't alone in this. A number of people won't set foot into churches because of the dark entities invisible to most living in the buildings. As a rule the average Baptist, Methodist, AME, and fundamentalist denominations do not spiritually clean their buildings. People often come into church with dark entities attached to them. Demons are cast out, and often hang around in the building because it is receptive to them.

You see the practice of spiritual cleaning was not taken up by Western Christianity from the ancient Hebrews. The Hebrew practice of spiritual cleansing had been seen as the Devil's work for a long time. In fact bathing was condemned by church father's in Europe for centuries. Traveling and stealing in countries around the world the Christian missionaries condemned spiritual practices of cleanliness  and outlawed those practices.

I am stronger now, and know a few things I didn't know as a child and a young man. It is still pointless, in my experience, to talk about these things in the church. People are still gripped in old European traditions of thought and belief in the Black church." - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 8.26.12

Angels in the Rafters by Sarah Jenkins

Original Sin

powers between Nyomi Banxxx's legs

"The assertion, and the story of original sin has a crippling affect on people, like myself, and every child born of a woman, who is born into mystery and magic. Being born into sin cripples and stifles growth, creativity and the spontaneity of childhood curiosity. Haven't met a young criminal yet who cannot trace his sense of worth to that story." - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories

MAN'S TEARS (a poem)

my Devil gave me the Pen

He thought its much better then .......
He saw me as a Tiger with the knife
because I didnt want to bring him his Life.

he was so angry and strong,
but everything With him was wrong...
i almost saw the devil cry
because even the Devil wish to reach the Sky!


he is still looking for his Bird
but every his Choice is bad!
the devil is already Mad!!


his brown eyes are shining blue,
who knows what had to go thru??
he is still waiting for the wind and rain,
which will bring him his happiness again...


I was touched by his pain....
because even the Devil is the Man!!

by Věra Mrózková

Věra Mrózková poetess from the Czech Republic

"The wind is changing. Be carefull at whose face do you want to spit 'cause you can hit yourself!" - Věra Mrózková

 

the DEVIL

"Others will use commitment as a means of avoiding God. And still others need validation from others to move closer to God." -Rev. Sinclair Grey 111

This is a remarkable observation, Sinclair! This phenomenon did not occur within indigenous cultures of the world in this manner. The existence of God and a relationship with God was not first an intellectual exercise. Spirit was the same as breath. Being close to Earth in an honoring relationship with the Earth is the line of demarcation between spirituality and religion and Christianity and the spirituality of the indigenous people before the blood bath of the missionary periods.


The missionary and the churches forced the notion that became a belief that the devil was everywhere in everything. The spiritual (natural) practice of native folks was outlawed and the custodians of Earth were forced to accept a belief system antagonistic towards the Goddess, honoring of the feminine, the give-away, offerings, ceremony and ritual, and the flowing relationship between Earth, people and Spirit.


Traditions came from intimate relationships and insights into the “Spirit-that-moves-within-all-things”. The approach to acceptance of callings on one’s life to serve God did not have the judgments and condemnations common to Christianity. The relationship between Spirit and a person allowed and expected the natural tendency to run from one’s calling to be a healer, a heyoka, teacher, or peace keeper, whatever. The questions of eternity did not start from a Western perspective where the acquisition of things held the highest value. The mind of the West (Christianity) needs to justify misdeeds and altercations between Mother (the Earth) and child but the indigenous spirit needs to seek balance. This is a fundamental difference between a Western and Christian approach to life, commitment and the natural Earth and the Earth way of indigenous cultures the world over.



~ Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories

Novembre 2007

the DEVIL

Maybe there is a devil who came alive because of a belief-system that replaced an individual's recognition of the dark and light aspects of self within the mystery of his/her soul. This discovery, perhaps, relieved one of the introspective nature the previous mode introduced to living abundantly, balanced, and in the moment. I wonder, sometimes, if the creation of the devil was an introduction designed to decrease the number of balanced people, and herd large numbers of huddled worshippers into churches, and mosques, and synagogues with shepherd dogs keeping fears alive! ~Dawn Wolf, Keeper of Stories